There's a Vashti story in the book "Sisters at Sinai," which contains modern midrashim by Rabbi Jill Hammer. (I haven't read it recently so I don't remember what it's like.) I'm sure there are others out there as well.
I agree with the previous statement about "feminist" being relative to the time and place. Which stories in the Tanakh do you consider more satisfactory in that regard? You mentioned four. Deborah: comments that Barak will be punished for asking a woman to help him. Miriam: gets punished for speaking up against Moses. Hannah: accomplishes her goal, that's fair, but her goal is "have a child." Ruth is just as obedient to Naomi as Esther is to Mordecai (and uses sexuality in a similar way).
I'm not trying to be antagonistic, btw. I don't feel the need for you to be convinced by my points about Esther (or any of these women); just curious to understand your perspective better.
Oh, one more thing I almost forgot. I'm amused by this alleged "strong message about ... obeying your husband." I *completely* read that as a joke (again, with support from ancient midrash). Yes, it's what King A. says and he means it, but I think the point is that he's trying to regulate things that are out of his control and that aren't even reasonable.
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stone-and-star.livejournal.com at 05:32pm on 11/03/2009![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I agree with the previous statement about "feminist" being relative to the time and place. Which stories in the Tanakh do you consider more satisfactory in that regard? You mentioned four. Deborah: comments that Barak will be punished for asking a woman to help him. Miriam: gets punished for speaking up against Moses. Hannah: accomplishes her goal, that's fair, but her goal is "have a child." Ruth is just as obedient to Naomi as Esther is to Mordecai (and uses sexuality in a similar way).
I'm not trying to be antagonistic, btw. I don't feel the need for you to be convinced by my points about Esther (or any of these women); just curious to understand your perspective better.
Oh, one more thing I almost forgot. I'm amused by this alleged "strong message about ... obeying your husband." I *completely* read that as a joke (again, with support from ancient midrash). Yes, it's what King A. says and he means it, but I think the point is that he's trying to regulate things that are out of his control and that aren't even reasonable.